


A Library Card is the Passport to Wonders

by TheImmortalKitty



Series: So I work in a library... [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Books, Completed, Fluffy schmoop, Libraries, Library AU, M/M, abeit breifly, also bucky is smooth, also i couldnt resist putting clint in, as should everyone, bucky practically lives in a library, mr cool 2k16, my awkward bby, they are beautiful places, very smooth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-14 14:46:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5748475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheImmortalKitty/pseuds/TheImmortalKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which one Bucky Barnes likes to nap on library books, and one Steve Rogers steals shirts.</p><p> </p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bookmarks

**Author's Note:**

> So I found a library book yesterday that is about 6 million years overdue (well, 6 weeks) and that kickstarted this. Apparently. No-one ever said plot bunnies were predictable.

Bucky slammed the book shut with a dull thud. He had been sat at his desk in the library for 3 hours and had just managed to read few pages. Guess that taught him for staying up late watching Netflix. 

'But there was a new series of Agent Carter'

'Shut up Barnes'

Ignoring his inner voice, he rested his forehead on the textbook and focused on the other people working around him. There was a group of Chem students a few feet away quietly discussing the properties of some new metal that had been found. Somewhere to his left someone dropped a book and was shhh-ed by the Librarian.

The soft tread of footsteps reached his ears and he scrunched his nose. Footsteps that light meant it was Nat, coming to check on him again. Barton had probably told her where he was, and how long he'd been there. But seriously, he was a responsible (almost) adult and he didn't need her to check on him, he's eaten - look you can even see the crumbs of his sandwich on the table - and he's almost done he /swears/ Nat so..

"I'm sure your girlfriend would be delighted to know you've eaten recently, but if it's all the same to you could tell me where the art history section is?"

Bucky lifted his head and squinted at the, Star Wars T-shirt? Wait, Bucky knows that shirt, Clint has one just like it. Clint's shirt got nicked from the laundry. What if...

There was a cough, and he looked up a little further at a chiseled jawline, mop of blonde hair, a pair of cerulean blue eyes set like gemstones and- Whoa whoa - wasn't Bucky just thinking about shirts being stolen. But those eyes, oh sweet Mary Ellen those eyes were like pools of...of...well, something very blue. No, oh no, he could feel the blood rising to his face. He was blushing...fuuuck. 

 __'Say something smooth' His brain screamed at him. __'For gods sake say something smooth.' But no, Bucky Barnes top student and top charmer blushed, squinted and mumbled: "not Nat?"

Way to go Barnes. 

"Yeah, um, I'm not Nat?" Oh, Blondie had a deep voice. It was light and dark at the same time and thickly Brooklyn, with Irish hints and - oh wait, was Blondie still speaking? 

" - Art history?" Oh. 

"Art History? Sorry, don't know. I'm bio-engineering so I don't tend to need to look there..." That was smooth, wasn't that smooth. Barnes is on a roll today, oh yeah!

'It was definitely not smooth'

'What did I say about shutting up?'

A cough came from his right, oh yeah, Blondie was still here. "Sorry I couldn't help." Bucky smiled.

"Its ok." Blondie waved, seemingly nervous, and shuffled back a bit sheepishly before turning and walking off through the library. 

"Wait, Hey! Hey Blondie!"

The guy turned around surprised. He pointed a slender finger at himself and mouthed: "me?"

"Yeah, its just uh, my roommate Clint has...used to have...I mean...where'd you get the shirt from?"

"Oh I found it with my washing. I think there may have been a mix-up or something, but all my other shirts are covered in acrylic." Blondie laughed nervously, "so I couldn't tell you exactly." He smiled then, when it became apparent Bucky had nothing else to say, he turned again and continued walking towards the front desk. 

Bucky slowly turned back to his textbook. He'd have to mention to Clint that he may have found his shirt-stealer, but then Nat might question him about Blondie and, just no. A nap is what he needs right now, then he can finish studying. Yeah, yeah. Sounds like a plan.

'Getting lazy Barnes'

'SHUT IT'


	2. Bookcovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve POV this time (ooh exciting).
> 
> Enjoy.

221, 222, 223, 224, 226, 229, 234...

Steve ran his fingers desperately along the spines of the books on the shelf ahead of him, rushing to find that one textbook he'd forgotten to buy. Of course that's the textbook they needed to work from for this module. Of course. "I'm going to fail," Steve muttered, "I'm going to fail. This is, worst, day, Ever!" 

"I'm sure you won't," came a voice from his left.

He let out a high pitched screech before a hand was slapped over his mouth. The stranger who stopped his screeching and a Librarian stalking the stacks nearby turned to each other in eerie synchronisation. "Shh."

"Got it." Steve tried to assure them, but the stranger's hand was still over his mouth so all that could be heard was, "gmmomf ifffft."

The stranger let out a soft chuckle, removing his hand and using it to smooth back his hair. Steve glanced him over, recognition niggling away in the back of his mind. The stranger was almost as tall as him, chestnut hair messy and eyes red rimmed from too little sleep. Those tired eyes rose to meet his own, and Steve fancied he saw a little of the same recognition reflected in them.

"Did you find the book you were looking for yesterday?"

Nudged by the stranger's question, the events of yesterday swam to the forefront of Steve's mind. He had gotten lost in the vast library, looking for a book on 18th century classical art, but had instead found a small, blushing, sleeping pile of human. Said human had most definitely not been on his mind for the rest of the day, no siree.

"Yes, thanks, I did. Did you finish what ever you were..uh...doing?" Steve inquired.

Adorable stranger (that was what he decided he was going to call him) raked a hand through his hair and confessed he had fallen straight back asleep on top of his books as soon as he had left. Steve just laughed, reminded of the time he fell asleep face first in acrylic paint. He related his story to the adorable stranger, to his surprise, when the stranger asked, "what's so funny punk?"

 

A cough and a muttered "scuse" from a passerby on Steve's right broke the conversation. He glanced at his watched, only to notice time had flown whilst he and tall, dark and adorable had been talking. Scrambling for words, Steve opened his mouth to say something - anything - when the stranger squared himself up and stared into Steve's eyes determinedly. "What's your name? I can't call you Blondie or shirt-stealer forever now can I?" He asked with a smirk.

"Oh, right. I'm Steve."

"Bucky."

Steve grinned, Bucky, he finally had a name to go with a face, before his face dropped to a frown. Shirt-stealer? "Shirt-stealer?" He hadn't stolen any shirts. Unless, of course, you count that slightly ratty - "Oh, oh, that star wars shirt? I put it in my to-wash pile, I got it a little paint-y. It's not yours is it?"

Bucky shook his head, hair bouncing. "No, it's my friends, but he would like it back." Steve shrugged. He was about to suggest leaving it with a note for Bucky's friend on it in the laundry room when Bucky's face lit up like he'd had an idea. "Hey, why don't I come and get it now?" He questioned, hiding his grin. "Save you time an' all that Stevie."

Steve fought back his squeal of delight, he didn't have to leave the brunets company just yet, and gestured in what he thought was the vague direction of the door. "Sure, shall we?"

Bucky just laughed and turned him around. "Doors are that way Stevie." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for a library Au there ended up being not that much description of the library. I guess I was always second guessing myself - do American libraries have this, that or the other? 
> 
> Anyway, I can't believe I'm writing this so quick. It must be the power of the kudo's, thank you to anyone who left one. X


	3. Bookpages

Steve's room was a mess. Not that Bucky expected anything else, Steve being an art student an all. There's were pens and paints left right and centre. Paper everywhere, coating every surface, in every nook and cranny. He slowly spun, searching for a place to perch. 

"Here, um the acrylic should come out with soap." 

Stevie handed him Clint's shirt. Green stained one sleeve and blue the other. "I was painting backgrounds," Steve explained, "it was meant to be a forest but..." He shrugged gesturing to the canvas propped against the desk before turning and meandering off into a corner where a kettle stood. "Would you, uh, like some tea? I sort of picked up the habit from my friend Peggy..."

Bucky just stood quietly, staring at the painting. Blue and white-grey, streaked with pale green flooded the canvas. It looked like the seas had frozen. 

It was beautiful.

"You know you're speaking out loud right?" 

Shit. "Well it is."

"Don't be stupid," Steve dismissed, "it didn't work."

Bucky's hand grabbed Steve's arm, "Doesn't matter if it didn't work, not to me, you're - its beautiful. Stunning." There was silence. Pink hues flooded across Steve's face, his mouth slowly closing, biting back and retort. The silence grew longer.

Gently, Bucky released his grip on Steve's arm, instead gathering the soft material of Clint's shirt into both hands. As he did Steve startled, quickly drawing his arm back to himself. He opened his mouth to say something - anything - but nothing came. Swallowing he shuffled back, opening the door behind him. 

Stupid Bucky, stupid stupid...why did you say that? Open your big fat mouth and stupid things come out. Look what you did!

" Thanks," Bucky muttered, and slipped out the door. He'd just said, to an almost stranger, that he thought his work and his self was stunning. Steve had been shocked obviously. 

'Way to ruin things Barnes', his inner voice snarled, 'first you complement him then you overreact and leave him.' Oh no. He had hadn't he? Seen the first sign of a non-positive reaction and fled like a startled bunny. 'What do you think he thinks of you now?' The fall of running feet came from behind him. Slowly, he turned.

There stood Steve. A little red in the face from running after him, wide eyes filled with worry. "Buck?"

A dry and humourless laugh tumbled from his lips. What had he been thinking? Steve squinted at his laugh, nose wrinkling adorably and mouth pouting. Bucky made the same face back.

"Bucky are you ok?" Steve didn't think he was stupid, Bucky could've laughed again in elation. 

"Nothing Stevie, just me being silly." He looked down at the shirt clutched in his fist. "Come on, let's get this back to Clint. Then I need to introduce you to someone."

"Who?" Steve queried as Bucky swung a arm over his shoulder and started walking them toward the library.

"There's this amazing man with a beautiful mind. Tell me, have you ever heard of Terry Pratchett?"

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo, last chapter done. Sorry if it feels a little rushed. Thank you for reading this, and for dropping any kudos or comments. 
> 
> Till the next story - Kitty


End file.
